


Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Legendary Travelers [On Hiatus]

by Limesar



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Minimal Tags to Avoid Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-01-09 02:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12266949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Limesar/pseuds/Limesar
Summary: [THIS STORY WILL BE PUT ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.](Chances are that this story will be remade some time in the future. Until then, I will be working on other projects.)A boy finds himself in a strange world that needs saving.While the typical consequences of being a former human in this world apply - amnesia, a different body, etcetera - there is a new addition into the mix.He has been turned into a legendary pokémon.(Tags will likely not be updated. This is to avoid giving away spoilers.)





	1. Changes

The first few rays of sunlight poked between the leaves of a large forest. Sounds of water running and various creatures chirping filled the area.

In a somewhat deserted part of the forest, a light emitted from under one of the trees. Upon fading, a bright crack in the tree sealed itself shut, with a nearly ten-foot beast resting in front of where the crack used to be.

Eventually, he stirred, feeling the dirt ground rub against him and smelling the plants around him. He groaned and tightened his eyelids further shut. “Five more minutes…”

Abruptly, his head shot upward with a gasp. He struggled in deciding whether his eyes should open or not. “Ugh…” He felt the blood rush from his head. “Wait, I’m late for something, aren’t I?”

Instinctively, he attempted to clutch an object and tried putting it around his eyes. He paused. “What was I late for?”

Finally, he opened his eyes, noticing a couple of things that already felt off. “Why am I in a forest? I don’t remember waking up here… wait, what _am_ I forgetting?”

He looked left and right, then up and… “Whaaaa-?!”

The majority of his body looked extremely white, with the exception of a navy blue section covering most of his stomach. The white limbs at his sides seemed too huge to pass for hands; even with four digits and a thumb, the “fingers” appeared too long and thin to have much practical use.

He gazed on in awe and horror. Glancing further past his belly - which also sported some extra bulk - he could just barely see his “legs”; needless to say, they didn’t look plantigrade in the slightest, almost looking like chicken drumsticks instead.

And he had a tail. One that had two blue fins poking out near the end.

He groaned, nearly shedding tears of frustration. _This is some sick joke, isn’t it?_

A few names popped into his head. “Josh? Barry?! This isn’t funny!”

No one responded, which both surprised him and didn’t. _Who’re Jones and Benny, anyway? I swear, this day can’t get any--_

_Who am I?_

He sniffled, letting out a mixed sound of sobbing and chuckling. “Of course it gets worse…” He leaned back, bumping his head on the tree. “Ow… Come on…”

In the wake of his realization, he crossed his arms and pouted. _I’m not getting anywhere with this._

He stared forward, changing his expression to a neutral one. _If somebody did this to me, maybe they can change me back. I know that I wasn’t like this… bird thing before today. What else do I know?_

He paused to search through his memories. _I must’ve been a human. Those Jack and Bart guys might’ve been my friends… Or were they John and Bryce?_

He sighed, shakily standing up. “I guess now’s a good time to start looking.”

 

After what felt like ages of wandering, the former human found a small clearing; the many flowers populating the field assaulted his nostrils with a nice blend of fragrances.

He glanced upward and saw not a wisp of clouds in the blue sky. Wistfully, he sat down for a few moments just to take in the scenery; even from what little he could remember, he deemed this area to be something worth remembering.

Upon standing back up, he shifted his gaze away - with much effort - and noticed a splotch of beige among the flowers. Curiously, he approached the oddity, feeling the transition from soil to gravel underneath his feet. _A road. This’ll probably lead me to a town or city._

A small part of him carried hesitance. _What will the people there be like? If I’m like this, then who knows what I’ll see, let alone how they’ll react?_

Even so, he decided that it would be better than being completely alone in an unknown world.

In the distance, he spotted a blue creature travelling down the path. He squinted his eyes to know better what the figure was.

It looked like some sort of seal; while most of its body was indeed a dark blue, the area around its nose was white, and the nose itself was a soft pink. The thin layer of a light-blue material bobbed around the creature’s neck while it hopped around.

He pondered for a brief moment. _What even is that?_ A chill ran down his spine. _Eugh. Kinda reminds me of a clown._

Then, the seal paused, staring in the avian’s direction. It then beamed and rushed over toward him, to his discomfort. In a very childlike, boyish voice: “Hi there, mister! You look bigger than my mom, and she’s _huge_!”

Awkwardly smiling, the former human rubbed the back of his head. “Uh, yeah, I guess I am.” _I doubt his mother would like that comment…_

The seal jumped up onto its hind flippers. “I’m Popplio! Nice to meet you, uh…”

Without thinking, the avian blurted, “I don’t remember.”

Popplio grinned. “Okay, Mister I-Don’t-Remember! Nice to-” He blinked. “ _Whaaat_? You don’t know your name?”

Before the amnesiac could respond, Popplio winked. “That’s okay! We just gotta think of what to call you for now!” He lowered his head. “How about, uh… Oran! No, wait, Chesto!” He paused, then glanced away in shame. “Uh, I’m not very good with names… Sorry!”

A few names popped into the human-turned-avian’s mind. _Johnny, Sam, Tim… I need a name that feels like me, but is common enough._ Then one just seemed to click. “How about Danny?”

Popplio tilted his head. _“What’s a Danny? Is it a ghost-type or something?”_

The avian recoiled, giving a mixed glare of utter confusion; he felt Popplio’s voice echo in his head more so than usual. _Did I just…?_

Further bewildered, Popplio shrugged. “Eh, whatever. You can be Danny if you want! Wish I knew what kind of pokémon you were to make things easier, though… unless ‘Danny’ is what you are.”

Danny stopped his movements. _Wait. I’ve heard that before._ A few moments later, his eyes widened. _October 15. I remember using up all my allowance for one of those ga--I _remember_ something!_ He clenched his hands into fists, slowly bringing them to his head. _The game I got had a silver bird on the box, and it looked like… like me. What was it called? Ho-oh? No, not that one._

He felt a tap at his leg, bringing him back to reality.

Popplio glanced at him oddly. “Mister, you okay?”

Danny stared back. “I… I think I know what pokémon I am…”

Gleefully, Popplio clapped, but he then faltered. “You think?”

Sighing in annoyance, Danny rubbed his forehead. “I believe I’m a Lugia.”

Popplio smiled. “Okay! Glad that’s over with! Can I take you to my mom now? She’s super cool, I promise!”

Danny nodded. “I don’t see why not.”

Snickering, Popplio covered his mouth. “I don’t see _wynaut_ either, thanks for telling me!” Getting shifty eyes from the lugia, he stopped. “Ugh. _Fine_ , Mister Party-Pooper, we’re going.”

As the seal pokémon led the way, Danny followed behind, slowly losing track of time while he thought. _If this is a dream, I doubt I’m waking up anytime soon._ His thoughts skipped a beat. _Why do I get the feeling he doesn’t know what a lugia is either?_

 

Upon reaching the outskirts of the town, Danny could hear quite a clamor ahead of them, even if the sun kept him from seeing the scenario unfold. With an eastward point of his finger: “Is there something going on over there?”

Popplio shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care. Mom’s house is over here!”

After tuning out the extra noise, the lugia glanced to where Popplio was suggesting. “That looks, uh… a little small?”

Indeed, the house barely reached a few feet above him, and while it had a disproportionately wide opening - not even a proper door, but instead a set of bars - the quaint home probably couldn’t take in anyone Danny’s size. Still, the decoration framing the house - which appeared similar to Popplio’s head, albeit with a mostly white color and flowing, light blue “hair” - looked nice.

Popplio laughed. “Well, it’s not just any home. My mom’s got this huge base underground, and all kinds of pokémon come here to visit! She calls it a guild, but I call it home!” He gestured to a grate between him and the hut. “Pokémon like me step on this grate, and if Sandslash thinks you’re good, then you can come in!”

Danny hovered a foot near the grate. _Yeesh… I might be too big to fit my foot on there… Don’t wanna anger this ‘Sandslash’ guy if I break it._

It took a moment for Popplio to realize the dilemma. “O-Oh! I should just let Sandslash know that you’re here.”

Before Danny could object, the seal pokémon rushed inside.

“Ugh, Popplio! Quit going through the fence! You know Lady Primarina doesn’t like that!”

The voice seemed to resound from under the grate. “Hey! Big guy! Get on the grate, please! I don’t need another rascal trying to sneak through today.”

Hesitantly, Danny lifted a foot onto the grate, making sure not to put too much pressure on the wooden beams. _I guess this guy’s ‘Sandslash’ as Popplio says._

A few pieces of paper were heard turning. “Let’s see…” Silence filled the grate. “The footprint is… uh… oh, for Mew’s sake, this foot’s huge. Okay, sir? I need to know what type you are, ‘cause I can’t see the whole thing.”

Danny internally groaned. _Just great. Gotta think this fast._ He analyzed his arms. _I could possibly fly with these, right? So…_ “Flying.”

More pages were turned. “Okay… Flying-type, huge footprint... “ A pause. “Mother of Arceus…” A pair of feet padded further underground.

All the while, Danny stood there, cocking his head.

_“Oh, sweet Mew, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”_

The lugia nearly jumped out of his skin. _That was Sandslash’s voice, wasn’t it? But again with the ‘in my head’ stuff, just like Popplio…_

Hearing the footsteps pounding back underneath the grate, Danny focused back on listening to Sandslash.  
_“Oh, Arceus, how do I put this…?”_ A pause. “Ehem. Sorry for the wait. You may enter.”

The bars that blocked off the entrance were hoisted upward, surprising Danny.

Sandslash continued. “As Guildmaster Wigglytuff stated long ago, ‘A friend of my friend is a friend of mine.’ Regardless of how you are here today, it is an honor to meet you, Lugia, Guardian of the Seas.”

Danny, for once, was speechless. _Oh, boy… How am I gonna be able to tell him, ‘I don’t know who you’re talking about?’_

Hesitantly, he squeezed into the building, thankfully without causing too much damage, and noticed a set of stairs. These stairs appeared much bigger than the entrance, so Danny could descend with less worries.

 

Once he reached the bottom, he was met with more than a dozen eyes staring at him.

Trepidation settled in him; he couldn’t recognize a single pokémon in front of him. Then, he saw Popplio prancing out of one of the rooms up ahead. The seal pokémon seemed to wave an arm at someone before spotting Danny. “Oh, there you are!”

All but one pokémon faced Popplio in bewilderment; the one that continued gazing - having some sort of shell for a crown - began speaking up. “Guardian, it has been a long time.” He swished his pink tail, then shook his head. “Oh, who am I kidding. You’re not really _the_ Lugia; he hasn’t been seen in over fifty years. Even so, he wouldn’t have been able to fit through the gate regardless of any effort.”

A few pokémon gasped, sizing up Danny.

In response, the crowned pokémon raspily chuckled. “Oh, believe me, this lugia is only half of a full-grown one’s height. A mere child. But regardless…” He bowed. “I am Slowking, former elder of Silver Trench.”

Another pokémon stepped closer; it seemed like a black hound with a few bones on its back and a skull on its forehead. “W-Wow… Even though you aren’t _that_ Lugia, you look so cool!” She paused, clearing her throat. “Call me Houndour. Leader of, uh, Team Bonfire. I really hope we can hang out! Or, er, something along those lines…”

While others were introducing themselves, Popplio stood on his hind legs and cupped his mouth. “Everybody, make way for him to pass, please!”

Danny briefly glanced around the crowd, unable to spot any places through which he could pass.

“I do believe I need an explanation for all the ruckus.”

Immediately, the crowd pushed themselves to both sides, leaving a wide berth for Danny to see who was on the other side: next to Popplio stood a slender figure, one that almost looked like a mermaid. She waved a white paw like a fan, using the other to cover a yawn. As she approached, she smiled. “Ah, yes. You must be the lugia my son was talking about. Awfully young, aren’t you?” She giggled, turning to the crowd. “Continue your duties, everyone. Slowking, please accompany us to my quarters.”

Slowking saluted. “Yes, Lady Primarina.”

 

Inside the next room, Primarina climbed into what Danny figured to be a pool, followed by Popplio.

The lugia nearly groaned again. _More tight spaces…_ He lowered himself to his knees and crawled through in embarrassment.

Finally, Slowking shut the doors behind him. “Lady Primarina, are you sure your son can skip class today?”

Primarina sighed. “Slowking, if Popplio got himself into trouble with a legendary pokémon, I’m sure that skipping school would be the _least_ of his worries.”

Danny shifted his weight. _"Well, if I were a legendary pokémon, that would explain the whole ‘Guardian’ shtick."_

Slowking eyed the avian suspiciously. “For a psychic much more powerful than me, you don’t have many mental barriers.”

Glaring at the water-psychic-type, Primarina crossed her arms. “Strike one, Slowking.”

That remark shut him up quickly.

Resting her arms at the edge of the water, Primarina continued. “Now, did my son do anything you didn’t appreciate, Lugia?”

Popplio nearly objected, but his mother put a paw over his mouth.

Thinking about what she meant, Danny shook his head. “No, ma’am.”

Primarina, relieved, smiled. “Okay. Now, Popplio, I want you to explain what happened.”

Popplio took in a huge breath. “I was walking down the road to Rawst Forest at sunrise to try and find some berries, but then I saw Da--Lugia wandering onto the road. I didn’t know who he was, but he looked really lost, and even if I wanted to stay away from him, he already saw me.

“So I went up to him and helped him get here because Pecha Village had everything an explorer needed, and I thought he was an explorer. I also wanted to show him to you because maybe you would know who he is.”

Primarina clicked her tongue. “He could’ve easily been a thief, but you did what you thought was best. How nice of you, Popplio.” She turned to the lugia. “Now, what were you doing in the forest? Normally, lugia children are on secluded islands with their parents, as Slowking had mentioned to me before, but this is indeed a special case.”

Danny tilted his head. _How am I going to say this? I don’t think she would believe me if I were to outright mention… _it_ to her._ He eyed Slowking briefly, then exhaled. “Well, I don’t exactly know how I got there in the first place. I don’t remember exactly who I am.”

Eyes glimmering, Primarina hummed. “That is unfortunate. Do you remember anything in particular?”

The lugia gulped. _No turning back now._ “I think I was a human.”

Popplio gasped, while Primarina looked away, her expression grim. “I see.” She paused. “Slowking, you know what this means, correct?”

The royal psychic nodded. “Presuming he isn’t _lying_ , yes.”

Tapping the sides of the pool, Primarina fidgeted. “Alright, Lugia. If what you’re saying is true, then this world is likely in danger once again.”

A few moments passed, the information slowly processing through Danny’s mind. His eyes widened. “Th-This has happened before?”

Primarina turned around - not before chiding a groaning Popplio - gazing at the wall behind her, a wall that was covered in runes. “‘The time gears, the meteor, the harsh winter, and the darkness. Four times the world faced near total destruction, and four times a human and a loyal partner prevented the impending doom.’ That is the inscription on this wall. The pokémon of our world used to think of humans as bad omens, yet they kept saving us from disaster.” She turned back to Danny. “There may be a fifth disaster just waiting to happen, and whoever called upon you is relying on you to save this world. With you becoming a legendary pokémon, however, this calamity may be even worse than before.”

Danny’s shoulders slumped, feeling the burden drag him downward. _I see. This somewhat makes sense, in some weird, awful way._ He balled his hands into fists. _But why _me_? If I fail, then…_ He teared up.

Concern spread across Primarina’s face. “Lugia, if you--”

The former human shot a glare at her. “Call me Danny. I can’t do this.” He started his way out.

Alarmed, Primarina attempted to object, but Danny had already left. She exhaled. “Popplio.”

Her son jolted awake. “Hunh? Oh. Sorry for sleeping through your lecture, Mom.”

Primarina firmly pulled Popplio out of the pool. “Go find Danny. Protect him at _all_ costs.”

Popplio paled, finally taking note of Danny’s absence and rushing out.

Slowking walked up to the guildmaster. “Must I follow?”

Primarina shook her head. “I’ll need you to send a note to Principal Sawsbuck. Given how Popplio encountered Danny and how they interacted, I can only deduce one possibility.”

Slowking opened his mouth to object, then closed it. “Yes, ma’am. I will do so now.” He exited the room.

Turning back to the wall of inscriptions, Primarina put her paws together. “Please, Arceus. Give them your support. I know they will need it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Small formatting changes have been added for smoother reading.)


	2. Complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to stop putting off writing this... Better late than never, I suppose.

The first thing Popplio noticed was the astonishing lack of pokémon out in the village. Running as fast as his flippers could carry him, he checked the square to find a handful of stragglers - mostly being the shopkeepers - just standing there motionless.

Instead of asking the question with which they already knew the answer, Popplio approached a chameleon-like pokémon that gazed through him. “Mister Kecleon, I’m looking for D--a lugia. Do you know where he went?”

Kecleon snapped out of his trance. “Oh, uh, he went towards the crossroads in such a rush. He seemed upset, don’t you think?”

He blinked. “Hold up. You don’t intend on going after a le--”

All Popplio had to say to stop him was, “Primarina sent me to look for him.”

The shopkeeper sighed. “Alright. Chances are he’s going to a mystery dungeon. Be safe.”

Nodding, Popplio headed further east.

At the crossroads, he glanced left and right. _Now, where could he have gone?_

He spotted a trail of large footprints that faced the middle path; upon closer inspection, they looked as if the owner were turning. The marks continued down an adjacent path. _You're not seriously trying to fool me, right, Danny?_

Before Popplio could continue, he heard a shout from behind him. He turned to see Houndour running up to him in exhaustion, carrying a bag. “Hah… Hah… I’m coming with you!”

Popplio’s eyes widened. “But didn’t Mom send me?”

Sifting through her sack, Houndour pulled out a badge. “I doubt you’d have a good time trying to get back out once you find Lugia. Plus, you wouldn’t be able to call for help if you got in trouble.”

The water-type slapped his face. “Right. Forgot about that.” He turned toward the side path and pointed a paw. “C’mon! Danny’s this way!”

 

Danny squeezed through the corner of a rusty pole for what felt like the hundredth time. Before fully going past it, however, he gave it a hearty kick before recoiling in pain. _Agh… Note to self, don’t underestimate a sturdy pole._

He heard a creaking noise, followed by the beam collapsing onto the ground. Turning back around, he tried pretending he didn’t just knock down a ten-foot stake.

Then, he felt a rumble in his stomach. _Just great. I need to find some food._

Danny glanced around, noting the multitude of other poles like the one he knocked over. A few broken walls of concrete stood by the beams, looking as if they could crumble merely by touching them; vines sprouted along the edges.

The air around him struck him with trepidation. _Th-These are… _were_ homes. Homes that humans lived in. Why are they here?_

His heart skipped a beat. _A-Am I in the future? No, no, no, that can’t be right. Pokémon only existed as games and movies and cards. How would they live in a human’s place?_

Any more thoughts that would have followed were ceased by his stomach grumbling once again.

Danny groaned. _Ugh. Can’t think when I’m hungry. It wastes time, anyway._

He then continued forward, apprehension building.

A large opening caught his attention. Peering through the hallway, he saw a set of stairs; the steps led upward to seemingly nowhere.

Sighing, he approached the stairs. _I swear, all the other paths I’ve taken seem to loop around or go into a dead end._

He leaned on the back of them. _But why build stairs if they don’t go anywhere?_

Soon, he paused. _I guess I could try to sit on them. My legs need a break._

Going around the base, Danny sat down… only to view a bright light. Once the light faded, the layout appeared similar - same palette, same patterns - except the positions changed.

The stairs were no longer underneath him, either.

“Wh-What the _heck_?! How-- Where-- Why-- Huh?!”

 

With Houndour busy sniffing out any scent of Danny, Popplio hardly got a chance to speak with her; she seemed so intent on finding the lugia that at one point, Popplio had to stop her from ramming into a fallen pole.

Popplio pointed out the rusted beam to the dog pokémon. “Are you able to tell who or what knocked this over?”

Houndour took a moment to analyze the pole. “Smells like the sea.”

After receiving a strange look from the seal pokémon: “That’s Lugia, alright.”

She spotted a few marks on the pole. “I’m not sure if he can learn cut, though.”

Looking at the slash marks, Popplio trembled. “Then if that’s not from him, then--”

Houndour glared over the beam. “Then either someone’s after him, or it’s not just the two of us on this floor.”

Popplio shuddered, then took a closer look at the marks. “D-Do you see smoke coming out of these marks?”

Confused, Houndour glanced closer and inhaled through her nose. “If it were smoke, I certainly would have smelled it. In either case, we need to find Lugia pronto.”

They rushed off without another word.

 

 _Okay_ , Danny began, reaching another set of stairs. _This place changes every time I go onto stairs. Maybe that means the stairs would somehow lead to another area at some point. It’s like one part of a maze that leads to another._

For a brief moment, he smiled, feeling the revelation lighten his mood. _So I’m making progress, right? I might get out of this place if I keep going?_

His emotions turned on the spot. _If. If I _can_ keep going. This hunger’s really eating at me, too._

Glancing around once again for food, Danny spotted something red glimmering in his peripheral vision. He snapped toward the object, which turned out to be a pile of the round objects. _Apples!_ The lugia rushed over to the fruits in an attempt to grab a handful.

He felt a sharp pain in his cheek, and he was thrown to the side. Instinctively rubbing his cheek, he noticed a drop of red staining his feathers. “Wh-h--”

“Oh, please. You thought it would be that easy, huh?”

A creature flew in front of Danny’s face; its entire body appeared to be made of origami, and its shape resembled that of a samurai. A faint layer of smoke surrounded it. “Y’know, I personally thought ambushing you would be harder, but the ol’ apple trick worked like a charm.”

The lugia winced, shedding tears of pain. “Wh-Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

Nodding, the paper samurai grunted. “Oh, you’ll know why I’m doing this, all in due time. As for who I am…”

He zipped all over the place, slashing every which way on the ground. “Maybe this’ll let you know.”

Danny whimpered, trembling while he read the crude message on the ground. _‘Kartana’..._

Kartana flipped in front of the lugia, seeming all too happy. “Now, let’s get you a new trim, shall we?”

On a whim, the lugia panicked and flapped his arms around, generating a gust of wind.

At this, the samurai was blown back into a wall, though he didn’t appear to suffer much damage. “Peh. You got spirit, kid. Now watch.”

His arm extended and started glowing brightly. In a flash, he sliced Danny’s shoulder.

The lugia wailed in pain, and he tossed his weight toward the hall.

Kartana pinned him face first into the ground. “Trying to escape, are we? I love a victim that struggles.”

Danny gagged. _I really wish I didn’t hear that._

Before any additional cuts landed on his trembling back, however, a burst of flames passed above him, scorching the samurai.

Cautiously, Danny lifted his head and saw Houndour growling, Popplio behind her.

The canine leered at Kartana. “Back off from him.”

Kartana paused. _“Lord Spectra’s not gonna like this. C’mon, Kartana, think.”_

Danny almost turned his head toward Kartana. _Lord ‘Spectra’?_

Kartana glanced at Houndour, slowly retreating. “Okay, then. Change of plans. It goes like this--”

The samurai bolted away.

Popplio rushed over to the lugia. “I’m so glad we could get to you in time!”

Houndour pulled out a couple of blue fruits from her bag. “We’re not done yet. Eat these; they’ll help you heal.”

Eying the berries, Danny took a few and popped them in his mouth. He chewed slowly, scrunching his eyes shut when he swallowed.

The juices seemed to energize him, yet he stayed slumped on the ground. “Wh-What if he comes b-back?”

Houndour simply rubbed a paw on his neck. “Don’t worry about it. While I’m here, he wouldn’t dare try to attack you.”

Danny wanted to believe it. He desperately tried to find faith in those words, but he just couldn’t do it. _I want to go home._

He hardly felt himself being transported elsewhere. The voices around him were drowned out by his own thoughts.

He tried to wipe his face, cringing whenever he grazed his cheeks. _I wanna go home. I wanna see my mom and dad._

Another memory came to him, his lips wavering. _Charlie… I wish I could see your smile again. I just wanna hear your little laugh again._

Collapsing into the dirt, he wept.

 

Danny opened his eyes, finding himself facing the night sky. He tried to sit up, but his back cramped. Turning his head, he noticed a familiar face between him and a campfire. “Popplio?”

The water-type peeked an eye toward the lugia. “Mmf. Hey.”

Managing to get past the aching, Danny finally sat up. “Where are we? Why is it night?”

Popplio stretched. “We had to get you out of those ruins. We’re just outside of town.”

He yawned. “Do you know who that tiny guy was?”

Danny frowned, turning away briefly. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

The water-type nearly face planted. “Okay, but _why_?”

Glaring at him, the lugia threw a fist into the dirt. “Don’t you get it? I nearly _died_ there! And here you are, acting like it wasn’t such a big deal?!”

Placing his head back onto the ground, Danny sighed. “It really wasn’t a big deal to you, was it? I doubt you’ve had that kind of experience.”

Popplio gazed at him with a shocked expression that quickly turned to anger. “Is that your way of saying thank you?”

The lugia glanced down at Popplio in contempt. “Is this your way of saying you’re welcome?”

Danny turned away. “I guess this is why I wanted to run away; even if I somehow save this world, nobody’s gonna treat me with respect here.”

Popplio stared in growing concern. “Look, I’m so--”

Danny trembled, sniffling. “Don’t even try to apologize. I won’t accept it.”

Popplio sharply turned around. “Well, fine, then! Be that way!”

Bitterly chuckling, the lugia stared at his shoulder. “Okay then. This might seem familiar.”

He put his hands to his face in mock horror. “Oh, gee, the noble human - I can’t believe I had to save this sorry excuse of a worthless _thing_.”

The water-type faltered. “Danny--”

“I’m not worthy of a name.”

Tears in his eyes, the avian balled his hands into fists. “I need to go reconsider why I’m here.”

Before Popplio could react, the avian got up and ran off.

The seal opened his mouth, yet no intelligible words formed. Finally, with a cracking voice: “Why can’t I just have a friend?”

Houndour came back to the camp, carrying a few dozen berries in her bag. She noticed the lack of Danny’s presence and a sniffling Popplio.

The seal turned to her, putting on a weak smile. “I-I messed up big time, didn’t I?”

 

Even in the moonlight, Danny couldn’t see much. He knew there were a bunch of trees around him.

Limping forward, he groaned. _What’s the point of trying to save a world if you won’t get recognized?_

He scowled, feeling the frustration boil in him. _I can’t even fight properly! What kind of sick person throws a kid into a new world with a new body and expects them to save it?_

“Psst! You there!”

Danny nearly jumped out of his skin. “Wh-Who’s there?”

The voice continued her harsh whisper. “Be quiet! Come here so they don’t spot you!”

Reluctantly, the avian approached the foliage, noticing a pair of antennae sticking out.

He felt himself getting pulled into the bushes, and he winced. “What’s the big i--”

The creature laid a bony finger on his mouth. “Look, you almost jeopardized this mission, even if you didn’t know it.”

Danny raised an eyebrow. “‘Mission’?”

She brushed his feathers. “Yes, dearie. It’s extremely important to do this mission. We need to know what we’re up against.”

The lugia backed off. “You don’t mean ‘we’ as in ‘you and me’, do you?”

Nearing the edge of the hiding place, the creature gazed in a particular direction. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

She glanced back at him. “You know, now that I think about it, any typical lugia would rather be flying over a sea than walking around a forest. Who might you be?”

Danny fidgeted. “It’s not worth knowing.”

Then, the creature fully turned around. “Alright. I suppose I’ll introduce myself first.”

She glowed, albeit making sure she didn’t do so too much. “I am Pheromosa.”

Looking up and down her body, Danny noticed her structure being composed mostly of bone; a thin, membranous veil flowed from the top of her head beyond her toes, her antennae nearly rivalling in length. Despite her body appearing as a roach, the white joints vaguely resembled that of a human woman’s hourglass figure.

At the revelation, Danny shuddered. “A-And what’s this ‘mission’?”

Pheromosa’s eyes glimmered, if only for a brief moment. “Fate’s a funny thing, huh?”

The lugia stepped back, bewildered. “Uh, y-you didn’t answer my ques--”

Shushing him, Pheromosa continued. “I have two missions: infiltrate this hideout, and bring the human to safety. You seem to have just made one of them easier.”

Danny paled. “I-I…” He sighed. “You know, don’t you?”

The oversized beetle nodded. “Indeed. Lunala needs to know you’re alive.”

Sitting on his haunches, Danny exhaled. “Nobody needs to know. It’s not worth it.”

Pheromosa, clearly frustrated, crossed her arms. “Look, I come here and somehow find the human Lunala sent, and you’re acting as if you don’t want to live. Our world is _depending_ on you, and all you can do is mope around?”

Suddenly, she fell silent. Her fist went up to her chin. “Wait. I remember Lunala mentioning that memory loss is to be expected. Clearly, if you knew how to fight at all, you would have forgotten.”

She began inching closer to Danny when an alarm-like noise erupted. “We need to go.”

The lugia felt a strange sense of panic. “Wh-What’s going on?”

Pheromosa pushed him out of the bushes. “They know we’re here. Run.”

Before Danny could interject, the beetle started dragging him, where he basically acted like a flag in a hurricane that could just barely withstand the weather.

For a few seconds, Danny’s surroundings were nothing but a dark blur. Then, as quickly as they accelerated, they stopped near a campfire.

In his dazed state, he hardly registered Pheromosa’s words. Once the feelings of nausea died down, a flame passed between the two.

Houndour growled in his direction, mostly aimed towards the beetle. “Let him go.”

Pheromosa did as demanded, releasing her grip on Danny.

Even with her short stature, Houndour glared up at the newcomer. “Explain. And don’t try anything funny with him.”

Popplio came out of hiding, still a wreck from earlier. “D-Danny?”

Pheromosa relaxed a bit. “I was taking this human to my mistress. He’ll be--”

Another flame grazed the beetle. Houndour snarled. “‘He’ll be fine’, my butt! We can’t trust someone like you, not after that… that paper-thin creature!”

Flinching, Pheromosa stood taller. “Kartana? He’s not anything like me. I’m helping Lunala in stopping him and his cronies.”

Houndour’s ears went back. “Wait, Lunala? As in the pokémon that controls the _moon_?”

Pheromosa laid a hand on her hip. “The same. This human was sent here by Lunala to help stop the incoming disaster.”

Inching towards Danny, Popplio teared up. “I missed you.”

The lugia tried to maintain a scornful look, but he faltered. “I missed you too.”

Even in the midst of two bickering forces, Popplio’s mouth curved slightly upward. “I’m glad you’re okay. Just don’t leave like that again, please?”

Houndour suppressed a bark. “How are we supposed to believe you? What you’re saying is utter nonsense!”

Pheromosa sighed, then pulled out something from her bag. “Do you recognize this?”

Cautiously, Houndour approached the object; from the campfire’s light, this object bore resemblance to a piece of an instrument. A blue crest was attached near the mouthpiece.

The canine backed off, mouth agape. “A-Arceus… that’s the Moon Flute?”

Pheromosa seemed to smile. “This is but one of four fragments of the Moon Flute. Lunala and my teammate also have one each.”

Then, her tone dimmed. “However, the fourth piece has not been recovered. I do not know the whole story, but Lunala believes to know how to access that last piece. That is why she brought the human here, for that is one of several ingredients to stopping this next calamity.”

Uneasily, Houndour inhaled. “Fine. I’ll take your word for it. But if you hurt him, I swear…”

The beetle nodded, turning to Danny. “I know a shortcut to the mistress’s fort. We can go after a good rest.”

Danny tried his best to hide a yawn. _”Yeah, I need to sleep.”_

Before he could fall asleep, though, he noticed the others’ eyes widening just a bit. He bit his lip. “Was that out loud?”

Pheromosa, who didn’t appear as fatigued as the other two, glanced at him. “You did mention that you needed to sleep via telepathy. I’ll see what I can do to help control your psychic powers in the morning.”

Had he been less tired, Danny would have expressed a lot more excitement. For now, he settled with a small noise of enjoyment before flopping onto his side.

 

_He woke up in an oddly colorful place; the only surroundings he could identify were waves of a changing rainbow._

_A voice echoed all around him, yet he could not determine what it said. What he did know was that it was feminine in nature._

_“...ease be al…”_

_He strained his senses. The voice was becoming clearer every second._

_“...Daniel… I just hope you’re…”_

_Danny desperately wanted to say something, _anything_ , but his own voice could not reach his throat._

_“Please, come back. I miss you.”_

_Then, an idea formed in his head: telepathy. It had to work, right? He focused intently. _”Hello?”__

_The voice went silent for a few moments. “Wh-What was that?”_

_Danny almost smiled. _”Can you hear me?”__

_“A-Are you a ghost?”_

_At this, Danny frowned. _”I don’t think so. It feels like a dream here, though. Who are you?”__

_The voice stammered, as if trying not to freak out. “I c-could ask you the same question.”_

_He thought over his answers. He could lie or speak truthfully. In the end, one of them seemed obvious. _”I’m Danny.”__

_An even longer silence followed. Then, in a whisper: “No you’re not. You can’t be my brother.”_

_Danny paled, realizing who this voice was. _”Charlie?”__

_She sobbed. “No! Get out of my room! Out of this house!”_

_The area started dimming, and his telepathic connection began breaking. In the midst of this, he could hear her shout one last sentence:_

_“He’s gone!”_

 

A cold, wet splash jerked him awake. He spat, wiping his face and turning to the perpetrator.

Popplio staggered on his flippers, drunk with exhaustion. “N-Now remind me why I had to spray him again?”

Danny felt a bit of soreness in his eyes. _I was crying, wasn’t I?_

Offering a hand to the lugia, Pheromosa waited. “You woke us up with the dream you just had. I _would_ tell you to keep that under control, but unconscious thoughts tend to have a bad habit of losing such.”

Houndour tried lifting Danny’s arm, to no success. She hesitated a little, then spoke. “Did we wake you up in the middle of that dream?”

Mind still reeling, the avian shook his head. “I think it was just ending.”

Even so, Danny could not deny that he actually spoke with his sister… even if she wasn’t so little anymore. The more he tried to answer his questions, the more he found himself gaining new ones.

In the end, he decided no one would need to know at this moment.

Pheromosa wiggled her hand impatiently, eventually grabbing hold of the lugia’s other arm. “Now, we need to head to Lunala’s fort.”

She took out a particular object from her bag and placed it on the ground.

Houndour glanced at the object, brightening up as she did so. “Isn’t that an Entercard holder?”

Pheromosa chuckled. “That’s partially true. It has a similar shape to an Entercard set, but this particular set is modified.”

Popplio and Danny looked at each other, then at the other two. With Popplio voicing their identical inquiry: “Modified?”

At this, Houndour gasped. “If it skips having to go through a dungeon…”

Nodding, Pheromosa gleamed. “Why, that’s the exact change this has.”

Before the canine could howl in glee, Pheromosa continued. “But, in order to keep it stable, it sends us to… well, you’ll see. Depending on your actions, this other place could go horribly wrong. Stick by my side when we get in there.”

Houndour lowered her ears, yet she stayed firm. “That makes some sense.”

Pheromosa took out four slates, each with a crescent moon on one side and a sun on the other. She placed them all with the moon side up; the dark side of the crescent were positioned closest to the center.

After placing the last one in its slot, the beetle backed away. “Alright. Keep your distance while the gate forms.”

Danny soon realized what she meant, feeling a soft breeze turn into a harsh gust toward the plate. As the wind died down, a glowing, white crack formed seemingly from the air above the tray. This fissure stretched downward into the ground before opening up.

Pheromosa glanced at the other three, amused by their awe. “Let’s go.”

Popplio excitedly approached the gate. “I’m gonna tell Mom _all_ about this when we get back!”

Houndour shook her head in disbelief. “That’s one weird Magnagate.”

Cautiously, Danny stepped closer to the gate and almost prodded it. Craning his head toward the beetle: “I just hope this isn’t too dangerous.”

Pheromosa sighed, pushing everyone into the portal before entering herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Small formatting changes have been added.)


	3. Conversion

_There was one issue with living alone: nobody could comfort you when you spiral down into depression._

_Charlie grumbled at the alarm, slamming a hand on the snooze button. Firmly planting her feet on the apartment floor, she wiped the hair from her face._

_Had she been crying?_

_She rubbed her eyes, feeling the crust fall from the sockets. Yes, she had indeed been crying last night._

_Taking in a deep breath, Charlie stood up and put on her slippers. _Danny… he can’t be alive now, can he? His body never showed up anywhere…__

_She opened up her dresser and glanced at an object at the top. _My only clue is this silver feather.__

_Even so, she recalled thinking that previously._

_Charlie sighed in frustration, nudging the bottom-most drawer when an idea unfolded upon her. She bent down and pulled the handle to reveal several game cartridges. _Silver feather… silver--ah-ha!__

_In her hands was a small cartridge, colored a dull gray. _This might be a huge stretch…__

_Stopping to analyze the front, Charlie slowly clutched her heart. _I can’t blame him for liking this pokémon more than Ho-oh, though…__

_She recalled the times she played with him and his toys; blissful, innocent sibling time when their parents were away._

_A tear landed on the cartridge, pulling her back to the present._

_Charlie went toward the closet, and she retrieved an old gameboy color. She briefly checked the clock behind her, deeming that there was enough time for her to play the game for a few minutes._

_As she traveled to the kitchen to get some batteries, she neglected a golden feather that began falling from where the gameboy had been._

 

Danny shielded his eyes from the sudden contrast in brightness, still experiencing some vertigo. “Where are we now?”

Gracefully turning around to face him, Pheromosa squinted her eyes. “This is the Ultra Desert - my home.”

As if on cue, Popplio coughed. “Bleagh. I rate this place a five outta’ ten. Too much sand!”

The beetle sighed and continued onward. “Like it or not, this is the fastest route I know.”

Houndour trailed in the back, taking in the vast and surprisingly varied landscape.

Several oddly-shaped hills dotted the area; while the majority of these hills were the color of soot, blue ores radiated all over them. As the troupe passed underneath one particular section, these ores provided substantial light.

Even with the variety in scenery, Danny quickly grew bored. “Are we there yet?”

Popplio appeared to have similar sentiments, giving the avian a sympathizing glance. “My flippers hurt…”

While Pheromosa seemed too focused on finding the right path, Houndour nudged the water-type. “That's why you should go on more of our expeditions, Popplio.”

Scoffing, the seal rolled his eyes. “Mom doesn’t usually let me go far from the village. That’s why I never get to go on those expeditions.”

The canine paused for a moment. “Well… You _could_ make or join a team. Maybe you could invite Danny, too!”

At the mention of his name, Danny gained a bit of interest. “What’s this whole team thing about?”

Houndour smiled brightly. “Oh yeah, at Primarina’s guild, you can be an explorer, a rescuer, or a forager! Each category lets you join a team or do things by yourself.”

Danny hummed, putting a finger under his jaw in thought. “I’ll think about it.”

Halting near the exit, Pheromosa turned to the other three. “The portal should appear here in a few minutes. In the meantime, we should rest.”

The lugia plopped down onto the smooth ground, heaving a sigh. “Finally. My feet were killing me.”

All Houndour could do was sigh.

 

_Charlie exhaled a sigh of relief when her quilava dealt the final blow to the fourth gym leader’s last pokémon. _Only a matter of time until I can check out the fifth gym.__

_She checked her watch, realizing the amount of time that had passed. _Geez, I’m glad I’m off on weekends…__

_After what felt like only a few minutes, she arrived in Olivine City. Charlie immediately directed her character into the center to take a break, sipping a can of soda as she did so. Saving her progress and shutting the system off, she set it next to her alarm clock and readied herself for bed._

_The first stop, as was routine, was the closet. Charlie pulled out her nightgown, but she suddenly felt a searing burn under her foot. Wincing in pain, she reflexively lifted her foot to cradle it._

_There was a golden feather attached to the sole of her foot._

_She dropped her gown and hopped to her bed to get a better look at the object. _What the hell is this?__

_No matter how much she tried to grip and tear off the feather, Charlie only felt her very skin. By the time she realized this, the burning feeling faded away._

_A moment passed with her staring at the feather, a sense of déjà vu overcoming her. _Where have I seen this before?__

_In only a matter of seconds, Charlie began frantically searching the room. Given how small the room was, it didn’t take long to arrive at her dresser once more._

_There, on one corner of the wooden structure, was the silver feather._

_She instinctively took it and smacked it onto her foot. _Maybe watching those fantasy films were useful for something after all.__

_For a few minutes, nothing happened; aside from the silver feather also sticking to her foot, nothing seemed to combine or cause some special effect._

_Then, Charlie started to hear something in her head. What began as nothing more than a whisper turned into a deep, slightly feminine voice. “ _I have received notice that you connected the Tidal and Rainbow Wings. Within a day’s worth of time, you will be transported to another world._ ”_

_Charlie’s heart skipped a beat. Even with a myriad of questions on her mind, she couldn’t organize them the way she desired. “Another world?”_

_“ _Ensure you have enough space around you, if necessary. Do not go outside during this period of time; it will only attract negative attention._ ”_

_At this point, Charlie suitably panicked. “Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!”_

_The voice paused for a moment. “ _Our world is in need of help. The most I can do with this process is not suppress your memories._ ”_

_Clutching her heart, Charlie only stared at a wall with growing dread - only to feel a sharp pain in her feet. She looked down…_

_...And saw dark blue talons where her feet used to be._

 

Pheromosa returned, still maintaining posture like an athlete. “Alright. The wormhole is open.”

Both Danny and Popplio got up immediately, the lugia adding in, “Finally!”

Houndour merely prodded Danny’s leg. “We just sat down for only a few minutes.”

With a huff, Danny crossed his arms. “Okay, _Mom_.”

Rubbing her forehead, Pheromosa sighed. “Enough bickering. Come along.”

The group eventually turned the corner and, with less hesitation than before, entered the portal.

 

Lunala glowered at the large tabletop, sparing an occasional glance at her opponent. Putting a tip of her wing under her chin, she activated her psychic powers…

The moment she did, a chess piece moved forward one space.

As for her opposition, they lifted a white tentacle, their hat-like bubble glowing. Then, they used an adjacent piece to knock over the one Lunala had just placed.

Lunala scowled. “Come on, Lunala, get in the game!”

A chuckle escaped from the opponent. “Distracted, Mistress?”

Heaving a sigh, Lunala glared daggers. “Can it, Nihilego.”

While the two stared at the board, a crash resounded below them. Lunala quickly forced the chess pieces into a bag alongside the board itself.

Nihilego lifted two tentacles in a shrug. “You think it’s Celesteela with her rocket science?”

Lunala shook her head. “Unlikely. I made sure that area had room for the new arrivals.”

Despite the lack of visible sensory parts, Nihilego managed to convey her confusion without a word.

Nevertheless, the two proceeded into the basement.

 

Popplio rubbed over his mouth in thought. “Mmm… A little to the left…”

Danny’s expression deadpanned. “I’m upside down. Which left?”

While Pheromosa analyzed a safe spot to take the lugia off the chandelier, Popplio shrugged. “Nevermind, I’ll just scoot over here.”

Houndour’s ears perked. “Guys, someone’s coming! Might wanna compose yourselves…”

Upon grabbing Danny’s foot, Pheromosa focused some of her attention on the canine. “It’s likely Lunala. Remember me contacting her?”

She swiftly pulled Danny off of the decoration, the lugia eliciting a grunt upon landing.

Popplio and Houndour rushed to help with Danny, despite the contrast in size. While that was going on, Pheromosa approached the stairs and rubbed her head. “M’lady, I know you’re checking, but won’t a simple surface scan be thorough enough?”

As Danny recovered, he turned toward the stairs. _”Surface scan? Wait, am I using that ‘teleporthy’ thing again?”_

Pheromosa inched away from the base, making room for the two new pokémon: a giant, purple bat with an equally impressive wingspan, and a white jellyfish with a translucent, hat-like head.

The bat gave a sweeping bow. “As Pheromosa has said before, I am Lunala.”

Popplio raised a flipper, eyes glimmering. “Ooh, is it true that you eat light? I’ve heard rumors from the guild that you do that to make it night!”

While Houndour’s exasperated expression disapproved of the question, Lunala snorted a laugh. “Well, that certainly caught me off guard. Little one, it is true that I help the daily cycle, but I have more dignity than to only devour light for such a task.”

The bat pokémon then faced Danny. “Human, I am sure you have many questions. I hope to answer as many of them as I can, but we will need some privacy.

“Nihilego, Pheromosa, please keep the other two guests entertained for the time being.”

The two servants nodded. Satisfied, Lunala ushered Danny upstairs.

 

_”What. The. _Hell_.”_

_She had talons for feet. Even if she hated her biology class, Charlie knew that suddenly changing body parts were scientifically impossible. There was a reason Animorphs were fictional._

_But this was not fiction. If what the voice stated were true, she would be transported to a different world - another improbable feat, though only a tad bit more realistic._

_Even so…_

_Charlie reached for her phone, quickly dialing for her mother. _The voice didn’t say anything about contact by this method…__

_She waited - one, two, three rings - before her mother picked up. “ _Hey, dear. Haven’t heard from you in a while._ ”_

_Licking her lips, Charlie planned out what to say. “Mom, I just want to let you know that I’ll be… traveling. I won’t be able to contact you until I come home.”_

_Her mother went silent. After a few moments, Charlie continued. “Er, it’s not because of legal issues, but I’d rather involve the police as little as possible. And I’ll be…”_

_Racking her brain for a convincing reason, her breathing shallowed. “...I’ll be looking for Danny. We never found his body, after all, so he could be anywhere.”_

_Despite her doubts of actually succeeding in such affairs, it seemed to persuade her mother. “ _Alright. Be safe - or at least try to be. I don’t want to lose you, too._ ”_

_Charlie nodded, proceeding to hang up. “Bye, Mom.”_

_A burning sensation engulfed her left hand, the same feeling that changed her feet into talond._

_Now, her hand was swarmed with red feathers, her fingers no longer visible._

_Flopping onto her bed, she quietly wept._

 

Danny gazed into the starry sky, amazed. He’d only seen such a sight in movies, but even those paled in comparison to what he witnessed.

In fact, it took a few seconds to remember how he got here. The lugia faced Lunala, who smiled at his reaction. “Yes, it is quite the view.”

Many questions filled Danny’s mind with haste. _”How’d I get here? Did Lunala do it? What do I need done? What about my sister--”_

A pink, third eye glistened above Lunala’s typical pair of eyes, seemingly muting his other thoughts. “I shall try to answer as many of your questions as I can, but please ask them one at a time.”

Briefly caught off guard, Danny took a moment to readjust. “So, uh, what am I here for?”

Lunala activated her third eye once more to pick up a beige shard. “These crystals have been scattered around this world. Alone, they are nearly useless. Brought together, they can grant any desire, no matter how improbable.

“My counterpart has been collecting them since we were created, but something about the shards changed him for the worse. However, the Creator himself designed a fail-safe for cases like these: an otherworldly being can nullify the effects of any crystal, even at their maximum power.”

Danny nodded unsteadily. “Um, that’s… cool? How did I get here, then?”

Sighing, the psychic bat pushed the shard aside. “While the original method was very similar to the wormholes Pheromosa took you through, it would only work with pokémon. Thus, a more troublesome alternative route needed to be taken - this being what caused your arrival.”

Enticed by the statement, Danny motioned her to continue. “And how’d you do it and make me lose my memories?”

Lunala shook her head. “You did not lose your memories. I merely forced them to the back of your mind, so to speak. Suppressing them, even temporarily, essentially put you into a deep slumber, substantially increasing the success rate.

“As for the process itself, combining the modified Entercards and my ability to create wormholes resulted in a more powerful gate. However, the cost comes at its unstable nature; matter can change states on the fly, which, among other outcomes, can mutate living--”

An abrupt snort interrupted Lunala. She focused on the lugia, who was… asleep. “I should really work on making that explanation more concise…”

 

_”I have a beak now. Swell.”_

_After having been laying down for several sleepless hours, Charlie got up to close the blinds. “That voice did have a point, though - who wouldn’t freak out at some human-bird hybrid?”_

_She heard an object hit the floor in another room. Perking up, she awkwardly shuffled toward the source, at which point realizing how tall she was becoming._

_Once she squeezed through the doorway, Charlie took a look toward the center of the living room. Her mouth - no, beak - dropped open. _What kinda’ hell hole is this?!__

_A white, square-patterned hole descended into who-knows-what - and Charlie felt her changes accelerating. _Whatever it is, it seems to be what’s causing all this. Geez, and I thought the Marianas Trench was deep.__

_Then, after what seemed like hours to her, a force shoved her into the bright abyss._


	4. Crunch

Danny awoke to a distinct rumble. Panicked, he stood up as quickly as he could, bracing for what he perceived as an earthquake.

He heard the same noise again, though no shaking occurred. Instead, the source was his stomach. _Phew… that was… something. I guess I’m just _that_ hungry._

Abrupt awakening notwithstanding, the lugia found little reason to try to sleep. He pushed himself up, realizing he currently occupied a giant pile of hay. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel any itches from his time resting on it.

Danny looked around the room, dark as it was, and couldn’t see any of his friends with him. _Well, I _could_ get a snack…_

A problem revealed itself as soon as he stepped out of the room, however: technology, as far as he knew, was barely how he remembered it. That likely meant refrigerators were scarce or nonexistent.

The aching in his belly pressured him to keep searching - surely there would be _something_ edible nearby!

Sighing, Danny pressed onward, tiptoeing down the hall. He winced at another rumble within his stomach, barely catching himself from falling down a set of stairs.

After squeezing through another hallway, the lugia analyzed the room ahead; a few columns lined the walls, and a long table resided in the middle. A few massive baskets stood on different parts of the furniture.

Danny approached each basket and felt around the inside, though his efforts proved fruitless. With an extended sigh: _It doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t bother me… It bothers me, it bothers me a lot--_

Before he could exit the room, however, his head began pounding as if he suffered ten migraines at once. Then, a bright, multi-colored light filled his vision, not unlike the dream he had a few days prior.

As soon as the rainbow surroundings appeared, they dissolved into a different area. Danny’s sight glanced around the base of a mountain, but the motions were not his own; he realized that he might be currently watching through the eyes of someone else.

Adjacent to the mountain was a sea of trees, their shapes oddly familiar to the lugia but insignificant to whoever was there. The person looked down, revealing giant wings covered in red, white, and green feathers.

Danny would have jumped in surprise, but the figure recoiled in his stead. For the first time in the vision, he could hear a voice. _”Where--? How--? What’s going _on_?!”_

Immediately following the flabbergasted sounds, the lugia found himself in the dining room once more. Danny kept still, however, upon realizing the identity of the creature. _That… That can’t be…_

He shook his head fervently. _No, it’s not who I think it is. Charlie wouldn’t - _couldn’t_ \- be in this world now._

After a few minutes of nearly hyperventilating, Danny recalled a breathing exercise from his human days: he raised his arms, wings clasped together, and imagined himself slowly inflating and deflating a balloon, timing his breath to match.

With one last exhale, he brought his arms back down. _Huh. I don’t remember that working before… Then again, I wasn’t a lugia before--_

His train of thought derailed when the room brightened akin to a light switch. He heard a yawn from behind him. “Ah, Danny. What brings you down here?”

Danny turned around, seeing the lunar pokémon. A plethora of responses whizzed past his mind - some of which he believed _didn’t_ belong to him - but he settled on his first reason. “Hungry.”

Lunala’s eyes widened a bit. “No wonder your body looks so thin! When was the last time you ate?”

The lugia looked back to his arrival, progressing in a chronological order. “...Uh…”

She firmly nodded, hovering at a brisk pace to the other end of the room. “I’ll get something for you - stay here.”

Feeling his belly grumble, Danny waited impatiently. A variety of food showed up on the table moments later, a faint psychic aura quickly fading; among them, fruits, such as variously-sized apples, appeared as the majority of the meal, with a bit of meat and what seemed to be gummy treats on the side.

The lugia licked his lips in anticipation, eyeing the apples in particular. He then picked up a large one and began munching down on it. _Mm! This one’s real sweet!_

Lunala soon returned, a mixed expression on her face. “I realized a bit late that your body would eventually require more meat than I brought. Lugia are supposed to have a more carnivorous diet for maximum energy, after all.”

Danny almost choked on a piece of his apple. “Wait, how do you get meat around here?”

Realizing the implications, Lunala waved a wing. “I should clarify what I mean: while it is true that pokémon are the sole creatures here, the ferals that reside in mystery dungeons are more like the ‘animals’ in your home world - that would be the closest comparison I have for the time being, as there are few proper ways to transition between either world.”

Still, Danny hesitated when glancing at the meat. He decided to try the gummy snacks instead, starting with a sky blue one. It crumpled like cotton candy in his mouth, sugary sweet and slightly damp.

He then picked up a golden treat and bit down on it. This one tasted different depending on what he was thinking… or was it just his imagination? Either way, it never gained too much flavor. _Interesting… I like it!_

The lugia, enraptured by the different kinds of gummies, grabbed a handful more - one each of dark green, black, and brown. The first one tasted slimy on the inside, though he couldn’t bring himself to hate its tangy flavor; the second treat had a strong, bittersweet aftertaste that reminded him of a sad moment in a movie he watched as a human.

The final, brown one, however…

As soon as the snack entered his mouth, Danny instantly regretted it. _Eugh, this tastes like dirt! It even crumbles under my teeth and sticks to them! Who would honestly like this?_

Despite the disgust he felt, Danny swallowed it anyways, not keen on vomiting away his meal. He quickly sank his teeth on the nearest item - which just so happened to be a piece of meat. _Whoa, wait, this… actually tastes okay?_

Much to his discomfort, the lugia appreciated the cooked remains of a wild pokémon. “Oh God, I’m _so_ not okay with this! I don’t wanna like eating a pokémon!”

Lunala, who had observed the entirety of Danny’s feast so far, shook her head solemnly. “You need to gain more weight, and that task will be made harder without at least _some_ meat daily. I know it will take some adjusting, but you cannot forgo your species’ carnivorous nature at a time like this.”

His hands balled into fists. He hated the facts, but he knew that denying his health would only make things worse. Sighing in defeat: “Just don’t make me eat it raw, please.”

 

“Fan-fucking-tastic.”

Charlie gained an urge to punch the nearest tree, reminding her of what she had become. She looked down at her wings. “I’m a ho-oh. A _pokémon_! My parents are gonna kill me-- _my parents_.”

A wave of sorrow crashed over her. “Oh God, what’ll my parents do, knowing they lost both of their children?! I need to get back… somehow!”

She began running - to where, she didn’t know - only to trip over her new talons. Squawking, she fell to the ground.

“Those feet aren’t made fer walkin’, missy.”

Charlie took her head out of the grass and sharply turned to the source. While nobody was on the ground, one look upwards revealed an orange and black cat-like pokémon. It jumped down from a branch, causing its glowing bell to jingle from under its neck.

The torracat sent a blasé glance at her. In his odd foreign accent: “Gotta say you’re a loud thinker. Never thought mythers showed up here, but at least ya’ make more sense in Rawst Forest than tha’ lugia a few days ago.”

Gasping, Charlie covered her beak. “Hold up, you mentioned a lugia? Where is he?”

Rolling his eyes, the feline raised a paw to think. “Well, tha’ lugia claimed ta’ be a human jus’ like ya’. Heard he ran outta’ Primarina’s guild. Her son went with a rescuer ta’ find ‘im, but none a’ them came back. The lady’s been ornery ever since.”

Charlie groaned. “Ugh, I’m never gonna find him at this point.”

An epiphany appeared in her mind. “Wait, you said the lugia claimed to be a human?”

Torracat began grooming himself, completely apathetic about the situation. “I said what I meant. You two lovers or somethin’?”

She scowled. “Ew, no!”

_If that’s who I think it is, we’re siblings,_ the ho-oh desired to add. However, she tried not to get her hopes up.

Charlie gazed up the mountain range, wistfully admiring the rainbow rising high above it. _Danny would’ve loved this. A world where pokémon reside… that definitely wasn’t a dream I thought could be possible._

As she reminisced her brother’s passion about the series of games, a ball rolled toward her by the wind; multi-colored lights adorned its white surface. Curious, the ho-oh approached the ball…

Suddenly, the ball burst, sending her and the torracat reeling. The surprise and pain of the explosion caused Charlie’s perception to blur, eventually fading to black.

 

Popplio awoke to a loud gagging noise, popping the bubble he had unconsciously blown. “Mnn… Mommy, did Skarmy eat a pink gummi again?”

He opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep crumbs out of them before his cheeks flushed. “Oh, distort. I don’t even know Sleep Talk!”

Houndour, despite clearly looking asleep, growled for a brief moment. “Language, Popplio.”

The water-type sent a glare to the canine. “You’re not my mo--”

His eyes widened. With a slap to his face: “I forgot! Don’t we need to go back to Mom and tell her about Danny and Lunala and those other pokémon with the smoke around them?”

Gasping, Houndour’s eyes opened up. “Right! Oh dear, Guildmaster’s gonna be _so_ miffed about this!”

The two pokémon, panicked, ran for the door, only to bump into each other.

Houndour groaned from the impact on her head. Rubbing the sour spot: “Ugh… What did you mean by ‘pokémon with the smoke’, anyway?”

Arcing an eyeridge, Popplio shrugged. “Y’know, that paper guy, Pheromosa, and the girl with those tentacles?”

The fire-type looked at him with confusion. “I didn’t see any smoke from them. Maybe you could ask Pheromosa or even Lunala?”

Abrupt, quick footsteps cut them both off, and Pheromosa entered the door mere seconds later. “Alright, children, Lunala requests your presence! Time to get--up…”

Upon realizing the state of the two comparatively small pokémon, the bug-type faltered. “...No matter! Come with me!”

She then grabbed Popplio and Houndour, speeding across the hallways until they arrived at a lengthy dining table. Satisfied, the lanky pokémon plopped them each into a chair.

While Houndour grumbled her complaints about being considered a child, Popplio glanced over at the listless lugia a few seats away, a few apple crumbs noticeable from his mouth. “Hi, Danny! What didja’ eat?”

Danny looked back, flinching in surprise at the water-type. “Oh, uh, I had some apples, some gummies, some…” He gagged a little, but nothing was expelled from his mouth. “...Some meat. Gghk. Feels wrong to eat a cooked pokémon, but apparently Bat-Wings says it’s necessary for my health.”

Lunala glared at the lugia, though she otherwise said nothing.

With a mareepish smile, Houndour sighed. “Yeah, just the life of a carnivore. I’m probably better off than you, considering I need to eat a total of something around four-fifths’ my weight in slices of meat to be considered as ‘healthy’, and I’m really tiny compared to you.”

Clearing her throat, Lunala took in a deep breath. “I am sure many pokémon suffer from being carnivorous and hate eating fellow pokémon as much as you, Danny, but like I have stated before, it is a necessary evil.”

Danny groaned, crossing his arms.

Sighing, Popplio got out of his chair and approached Pheromosa. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

The bug-type gave an amused glance at him. “You just did. I know what you mean though - ask away.”

He rolled his eyes. Gesturing around Pheromosa’s hourglass figure: “I can’t help but notice this smoke around you and the paper guy. What does that mean?”

Eyes widening, she leaned closer to the water-type. “You don’t mean to tell me that you’re a Dimensional Seer, do you? This is great news! I’ll inform the mistress.”

“Okay, but what’s a--”

By the time Popplio finished his sentence, the bug-type had already jogged in front of Lunala, chatting away by the looks of it.

He set his focus onto the mumbling lugia once more. “So… You know about my mom, right?”

Upon seeing Danny nod, his face brightened. “Well, I can tell you a story my dad told me once! He’s so awesome, legends were made about him and his partner!”

The avian expressed his curiosity with a hum. “Who was his partner? They must’ve both been special if legends of them exist.”

Popplio put a flipper underneath his snout. “Uh, it _has_ been a while since Dad told me this one, so I might get some details wrong… Wait, that’s right! His partner was a typhlosion named Rocard, and, get this, Rocard was a human, too!”

Danny’s eyes widened in surprise. “So Primarina wasn’t kidding about humans helping to prevent disaster.”

Unfortunately, before the water-type could get another word into the story, Lunala hovered in front of the two, facing Popplio in particular with a worried expression. “Popplio? If what Pheromosa says is true, I believe I have some grave news to tell you. First, I will need you - and Daniel, if he so chooses - to come with me to the arena on the lowest floor. Follow me.”

With a confused exchange of glances, Danny and Popplio reluctantly followed the lunar pokémon.

 

Try as he did, Danny couldn’t refrain from staring at his first friend in this world. Either the - _Dimensional Screamer?_ he mused - itself had terrible effects, or an event associated with the ability caused such dismay that legendaries had to get involved.

In any case, this was _not_ a good situation.

He wanted to ask what was wrong, but he had a vague suspicion that Popplio only knew as much as he did. Instead, he went for a more casual approach. “So, about your dad--”

The lugia’s mouth clamped shut, seemingly on its own, but Lunala’s annoyed look at him, accompanied by her glowing third eye, suggested she did it herself. “If you have something to say, it will need to wait. We are approaching the spectators’ seats at this moment.”

True to her word, a door opened a few feet away, lighting up the otherwise dark hallway and revealing a large, circular field. Danny would’ve dropped his jaw in awe if his beak weren’t psychically shut. _Jeez… This place is probably bigger than, like, twenty football fields!_

Lunala’s third eye flickered, freeing Danny’s mouth. She remained silent, as if expecting something to happen. Moments later, a large cage seemingly materialized at the bottom of the steps, containing… someone.

The bat-like pokémon faced the two, her third eye dimmed at last. “I will need to preface this with a story of sorts. Daniel, if you wish to leave, now is the time. As for you, Popplio, this matter mostly concerns only you.”

Danny shook his head, facing the water-type. “I know I haven’t been the best partner to you, but you’ve stuck with me the longest. It’s about time I help you with your problems, too.”

Eyes gleaming, Popplio smiled fondly at the lugia. “That’s the most mature thing I’ve heard you say yet.”

With a snort, the avian covered his beak. “You’re saying I’m _immature_? Do you not recall when I got stuck on the chandelier and you pretended to take a picture of me?”

The seal-like creature playfully narrowed his eyes. “Well, that was a golden opportunity you gave me, so that shouldn’t count.”

Lunala cleared her throat, turning the attention back to her. “Alright. On with the story…

“I am sure you two are familiar with the kinds of powers I control: the moon, nighttime, and all its benefits. However, my brother, Solgaleo, controls the sun. He and I, in all honesty, have not had the greatest history together. Usually, all that transpired were petty arguments and the occasional fight.

“A few years back, we simultaneously discovered a new power that allows interdimensional travel. Both of us could utilize this, and we both knew that. Solgaleo, in contrast to myself, abused this power, gathering powerful, otherworldly pokémon known as ultra beasts. He would use them to instill terror upon innocents or - perhaps more sinisterly - corrupt them to work for him.”

She paused, sighing. “I devised countermeasures to bring an end to his tyrannical behavior. Recruiting allies of my own, I used a great portion of my psychic power to grant many pokémon a way to identify anyone under Solgaleo’s influence as well as near-immunity to his powers. Those selected were referred to as ‘Dimensional Seers’.”

Popplio, enraptured with the information, shook his head rapidly in disbelief. “So you gave me and a bunch of other ‘mon special powers? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

With a firm gaze at him, Lunala grunted. “No, I did not give you the ability. However, I could not focus on seemingly-trivial things such as heritage, not with Solgaleo’s forces on the move. I may have unintentionally allowed pokémon to inherit a Seer’s benefits, though that is likely a good thing.”

The water-type’s eyes slowly widened. “My… parents gave it to me?”

Lunala nodded affirmatively. “Coincidentally, both of your parents currently have the ability. Your mother - who I presume to be Primarina of Team Traverse - was one of the many to first receive the power I bestowed.”

Smile fading, Popplio’s expression soon became crestfallen. “And my dad? What about him?”

She paused, almost mirroring the young pokémon’s forlorn look. “Your father… I am afraid Solgaleo found out what I was doing. I was in the process of transferring the power to your father and his long-time partner. While I had succeeded with one of them, Solgaleo… intercepted the connection. Your father obtained the ability, but due to Solgaleo’s interference, his mind became unstable; unable to control his newfound power, he lashed out at everything around him until he no longer could.

“Popplio, I am afraid your father has become nearly insane beyond repair.”

Danny gagged, suddenly feeling the waves of not only his emotions, but _Popplio’s_ as well. He stooped down to one knee, clutching his head.

He knew full well that Popplio had it much, _much_ worse than he could ever imagine. “No… Dad! Why… Wh-Why did it have to be like this?!”

Grimly turning away, Lunala continued. “Pheromosa managed to track him down and bring him here, at least to try fixing the problem. I am afraid it would take more than my mind alone to… pull him together, so to speak. That is one reason I brought you here, Daniel.”

In the midst of Popplio’s sobs and sniffles, Danny sent her a mixed expression. “ _One_ reason?”

He shook his head, sighing. “Nevermind. I assume that would be his dad in that cage over there. Even though you told Popplio all of this, I don’t think it would help if he got closer to--”

“N-No.”

Popplio glanced up from the floor, tears still fresh on his face. “If sh-she says that she’s trying her hardest to bring him b-back, I should at least see if I can m-make a difference.”

Putting on the faintest of smiles, he began to descend the staircase. Danny trailed close behind, with Lunala hanging back to keep an eye on the two.

The cage they approached had dents and rusty blemishes all over. A few shards of a plate were scattered around the now-scrawny feraligatr, as if he didn’t desire to eat. By the slow rise and fall of his chest and his closed eyes, he seemed to be asleep.

Even through the blissful state, Popplio and Danny both saw the various cuts and bruises along the feraligatr’s body.

The young water type bit his cheek, thinking of what to say. “D-Dad?”

It was as if a light switched, the feraligatr already backing into the furthest corner. “Nnh! No, you can’t take her away!”

Popplio winced at the sudden change in demeanor. “Dad, it’s me! Your son… Tommy!”

His father froze, appearing to recognize the name. “No… That witch… She couldn’t have…”

With a snarl, he faced Danny, eyes unrelentingly jabbing into the lugia’s memory. “ _You_! I won’t let you take my son hostage, you hear me?! The great Lockjaw won’t have his son in the clutches of any legendary!”

Every fiber in Danny’s body screamed at him to flee, _run, never return_. Holding his gaze, however: “Y-Your son is okay! Solgaleo did this to you, not Lunala!”

Lockjaw only growled louder, clawing at the bars with fervor and occasionally snapping his jaws through them. “That’s what she wants you to think! You aliens aren’t trustworthy! I’ll kill you all--”

The feraligatr looked as if he were choking on something, and he soon fell back unconscious.

Lunala appeared to be fighting back tears of her own. “I had to use a combination of hypnosis and psychic to sedate him. Popplio…”

“Stop it!”

She gasped a short breath, glancing at the seal-like pokémon. “Please, you must--”

Popplio whipped his head at the larger creature with a glare, tears flinging to the floor. “I said stop it! Shut up! I don’t--”

He hiccupped, rubbing an eye. “I don’t know what to believe at this point. Just leave me alone…”

As the little water-type treaded up the stairs, Danny exhaled, glancing back at Lunala before heading up himself. _”It’ll definitely take him some getting used to. Kinda reminds me of why I fled from the guild, though hopefully without the maze part.”_

_”Of course.”_

The lugia made a hasty one-eighty in his movement, almost tripping on the steps. “I thought I was just thinking to myself!”

Lunala approached him with a humorless smile, her third eye glowing above her other two tear-stained ones. “That reminds me: it is about time I teach you some basic psychic tricks. This arena will serve as practice - I have already Lockjaw’s quarters to where they once were.”

Danny hesitantly nodded. “I, uh… sure, okay. Maybe we could get a snack, first?”

The lunar pokémon sighed. “Fair enough. I shall obtain some food. Try not to overstuff yourself before training.”

 

_Where… am I?_

Charlie found herself in complete darkness; it didn’t matter if she had her eyes opened or not. She tried to move her arms - _wings_ , she corrected herself - but rope bound them to her body. Her legs proved to be in a similar situation, and her beak was clamped shut by something metallic.

All she could do was contemplate about it. _Okay, recap time: I turn into a ho-oh, wake up in what presumably is a world filled exclusively with pokémon, find a torracat with basically no empathy, and then…_

Something didn’t sit right with her having difficulty recalling the most recent events. _...Then there was this… white, dotted ball? And something exploded, I think. That’s how I got here, now? I can’t be dead, since I can feel these ropes. Now what?_

A few torches lit up around Charlie, revealing that she had ended up in a rather small room. While she didn’t see anyone directly in front of her, the chills crawling up her spine gave her the overwhelming premonition that someone was behind her.

A booming voice echoed around her. “You did well, Blacephalon. The mind-blown attack did surprising amounts of damage to her. You may leave.”

She didn’t hear any response.

The voice quieted down, as if concentrating on something. “Grr… Damnit! The locks are already secure. At least one more human is captured and out of commission. Buzzwole!”

Charlie flinched at the sudden shout. Soon, she heard the sounds of buzzing, followed by a new, nasally voice. “Yes, sire.”

“Take the ho-oh to the cell next to him. Put her in the _same_ cell, actually - that way they will be lumped together in one place.”

She felt herself being dragged now, left with even more questions. _One _more_ human? Who was commanding those two? And who’s ’him’?_

Her body was tossed into the cell, a red, insectoid figure appearing at the edge of her vision and walking away.

Charlie sighed through her nostrils. _Well, _that’s_ welcoming._

She heard something shift outside her vision. “They got you too, huh?”

The pokémon that walked in front of her revealed himself as a typhlosion. His body was hideously scabbing in a few places. With a smirk betraying his tone: “Welcome to the hell that is Solgaleo’s domain. As much as I hate being here, it’s oddly reassuring to know I’m not alone.”


	5. Cure

Danny collapsed to the ground, nearly dropping the crate he held with telekinesis. “Ggh! I really, _really_ can’t feel my anything… Break, please...”

With a critical stare at the box’s floating height, Lunala sighed. “It is hardly halfway to the mark, but it will do for your first time. Release.”

The lugia all but eagerly let the heavy container fall, finally landing flat on his stomach. He let out a loud moan. “My _heeeaaad…_ ”

Lunala brought a few leppa berries in front of his mouth, rolling her eyes at the display. “I suppose we can move onto other techniques for now… although now I realize that telekinesis might not even be your strong suit.”

“You don’t say,” Danny mumbled between bites, receiving a glare from the mistress.

Eventually letting the remark slide, Lunala continued. “Perhaps, given how often you used it unintentionally, telepathy might be your biggest asset. As such, that will be covered in greater detail.”

Danny finished up the leppa berries, his energy greatly improved compared to mere moments ago. “Fine. I really need to get a handle on that, anyways.”

The lunar pokémon nodded in understanding. “I apologize if my explanations are a bit rough around the edges; my telepathy has been a bit rusty for quite a while. Now, we will start off with a simple exercise: think of a statement, then imagine yourself speaking it to me.”

Raising an eye ridge, Danny tried to form a sentence in his mind, only to stop halfway and snort. _”A statement.”_

Lunala gazed at him with half-lidded eyes. “Very mature, Daniel. Next, repeat the thought, but imagine telling it to _yourself_ instead.”

_Yeah, real mature. Also, your third eye’s blue._

The lugia raised a hand, scratching behind his head. “Okay, done. What now?”

He received little response directed to him. However, he did hear the lunar pokémon mumble, “What is this…”

As he continued his stretch, he noticed Lunala falter. “Uh, you okay?”

Lunala sent a sharp glare at him. “I did not know you received a vision this morning. Why did you not inform me?”

Danny’s jaw fell, finding words difficult. “A v-vision? There _was_ one that was rainbow-colored--”

“That is the one,” the lunar pokémon stated, wide-eyed. “This is terrible! Whoever had combined the two wings is very likely to be captured by Solgaleo, what with the signal it sends!”

It was as if he had been hit by a thunderbolt, legs suddenly weak from the newfound burden. “That… Then that means…”

Lunala paused, seemingly calculating her next words. “We need to infiltrate Solgaleo’s castle tonight. Gather your friends here; I will contact my partners.”

Danny snapped out of his trance, shakily nodding. “Y-Yes, ma’am.”

 

Popplio stared at his apple, still thinking back to his father’s hostility. He ignored the painful rumbles of his stomach, replaying the scene in his mind like a broken record. _It shouldn’t be like this. Dad means a whole lot to me! He couldn’t - wouldn’t - be so crazy like this…_

Yet the facts bored holes into his thoughts, always present and always looming over him. _Why can’t I fix it? I just wanna see his toothy smile, his puns…_

He barely registered Houndour’s paws wiping the tears off his face. The canine whispered something in his ear - though what she said might as well have been a breeze. _I just want Dad to be normal again!_

A small part of him desired to be heard by Jirachi himself, but deep down, Popplio knew the worst had passed. He almost preferred his father to be dead over being insane. Almost.

Houndour gazed at the water-type with a forlorn expression. “Popplio… We need to go to Lunala. If you want, I can hold your flipper.”

His reaction was instantaneous. “No! I don’t wanna see her! It’s her fault Dad’s crazy!”

The fire-type’s eyes widened, taking both flippers and turning Popplio to her. “Lunala couldn’t protect him in time, you know that! If anyone is to blame, it’s Solgaleo. She needs to talk with all of us about something important. Please, Popplio… do it for your dad, at least.”

Popplio sniffled. “...M-May I have a hug?”

Houndour nodded, sadly smiling. “Of course. Do what you need to do.”

He curled himself between the canine’s feet, letting out a shaky sob.

 

Charlie could only stare at the typhlosion in terror. _First day as a pokémon, and I’m already a prisoner. Now I’m in the same cell as someone who’s been the only one here for God-knows-how long! He could be insane!_

The typhlosion sighed, apparently aware of the possible threat he seemed to be. “But y’know, we might as well get to know each other here. Lemme get those restraints off of you…”

He proceeded to rip the iron muzzle apart, soon untying the ropes around her torso and wings. “First things, first: the name’s Rocard. Former leader of Team Redemption… before, y’know, becoming a prisoner of war.”

After taking in a breath of the rusty air, the ho-oh craned her head to face Rocard once more. “Charlie. What kind of war is happening?”

The typhlosion let out a weak chuckle, separating the last knot. “War between Sun and Moon, War of Light. But my personal favorite of the lot is the Eclipse War. Pick your poison - or, uh, don’t. No pechas around here to cure that. If any of those names are an indication, Solgaleo and Lunala, who control aspects of day and night respectively, are the sides of this war.”

Charlie began stretching her wings. “Who’s winning?”

Rocard exhaled, downcast but almost hopeful. “Solgaleo. He’s got a head start, capturing me and you, but hopefully Lunala has something up her sleeve… er, wing? Anyways, the big cat’s only got us here because our minds are protected by Lunala, so any of his psychic tricks won’t control us.”

With raised eye ridges, the ho-oh had her beak gaped. “Jeez. Better in this cell than working for the bad guy, I suppose.”

Glancing upward, Rocard cracked a smile. “You can say that again. A certain someone has been keeping me updated on Solgaleo’s plans - apparently, a move will be made tonight.”

Charlie nodded. “And this someone is…?”

The typhlosion winked, wagging a claw. “Ah, can’t tell you! They’re currently working under espionage for the mistress, and if I mention anything else about them, they’ll probably be shoved in here, too.”

She groaned at the excuse. “Fine, whatever. We’ll make our escape tonight, then?”

Rocard shook his head. “That’s only if the battle goes in Lunala’s favor. Even then, _someone_ would gladly help us out--”

“Hey! Quiet down, chumps!”

The rattling of the bars behind Charlie startled her, forcing her to turn to the source: a gengar scowled at the two. “It’s bad enough with one ‘mon talkin’ to himself, we don’t need another.”

While she initially found the ghost-type intimidating, the gengar blinked with one eye a split second later. _Did I also see the hint of a smirk?_

Finally, the gengar rounded a corner, a part of his arm phasing through the wall.

Rocard cleared his throat. In a lower voice: “So essentially, we could be out as soon as tonight. There’ll be one more meal before the fight begins, so you might wanna savor it by the off chance we escape this hellhole.”

Charlie grinned, satisfied enough with the answer. “Well, we better grab the opportunity when it occurs, then. Waiting game it is.”

The typhlosion smiled fondly, a gleam in his eyes. “Indeed.”

 

“...and Nihilego, you will assist Xurkitree in frontline combat. As always, Pheromosa will help the prisoners escape. Stakataka, I hope you do not mind defending this place in the case of an intruder. That should be everyone accounted for.”

Even in his state of worry, Danny couldn’t help looking at Stakataka - or the many brick-like creatures that made up his sturdy body. _Would I need to refer to him as a singular pokémon or as a group? I haven’t heard him - them - speak yet…_

Popplio glanced at the lunar pokémon, still holding Houndour’s paw. “Wh-What about Houndour ‘n me?”

Lunala closed her eyes. “For your safety, I implore you two to stay here. Daniel, you should also remain here - I would rather not risk letting my brother capture yet another human.”

Despite the complaints regarding that statement bubbling in his throat, Danny kept his focus on the more important decisions. “Alright.”

Nihilego floated to the lugia with a giggle. “Sorry if I didn’t get to properly introduce myself, tall, light, and handsome. I’ll fix that when we return!”

Danny raised an eye ridge. “I could remind you instead of you getting distracted with that?”

The jellyfish-like pokémon sighed, waving a tentacle. While following Pheromosa: “Bah, forget it. I can remind myself.”

As the three left, Stakataka emitted a low rumble akin to a chuckle.

The lugia felt himself tugging his collar bone out of habit. “Yeesh. Could you not do that? Kinda creeps me out.”

He saw the creature raise his front two… feet in a shrug.

Danny nodded, wiping a bit of sweat from his face. “I’ll take that as an ‘okay’. Can you talk? Er, should I refer to you as one pokémon or as a bunch of them stuck together?”

Stakataka’s main two eyes closed part way, and he pointed at the avian’s head before tapping the front side of his cuboid body.

It took the lugia a few moments to realize the meaning of the gesture. After a few seconds of focusing on his telepathy: _”So, uh, now can you tell me?”_

_”The piece that lets me speak aloud was lost somewhere. Just treat me as one ‘mon.”_

Danny tried not to wince at the gravelly voice. _”Right. I’ll go check on my friends.”_

He glanced back at Houndour and Popplio, the latter of which seemingly zoning out at the moment. Sighing, the lugia positioned himself closer to the two and sat down. “Ssooo… Anything you guys want to, uh, do?”

Immediately wincing at the tone he used, Danny turned his head away in embarrassment.

But at that particular moment, he noticed the cage holding Lockjaw. By the looks of it, the feraligatr was asleep. _How long has he been there? Should I go talk to him?_

As much as he wanted to stay away from the scaled pokémon, his mind went back to his practice with Lunala. _’Telepathy might be your biggest asset. Telekinesis isn’t your strong suit.’ There’s gotta be some psychic power that can help him! Maybe I can make him un-crazy?_

Danny soon approached the feraligatr, focusing too much on a plan to hear Houndour’s worried voice piping up. He made it about halfway to the cage when he felt a tug on his wing. “Huh--What is it?”

The canine narrowed her eyes. In a hushed tone: “Don’t you see what you’re doing? Judging by the others’ reactions to Lockjaw, he’s clearly off his rocker! And you’re just walking up to him with barely _any_ caution?”

Huffing, Danny looked back to Lockjaw. “I’m trying to think of a way to fix that! I can’t stand to see Popplio in that kind of mood - he hasn’t seemed to have gotten over his dad being crazy, for crying out loud! Do you really think I’m _not_ gonna try?”

Houndour’s ears folded back, though she still gestured to Popplio. “If _Lunala_ couldn’t make any progress, what makes you think _you_ have any better of a shot?”

“Because I _have_ to try!”

Danny whirled in front of the fire-type, looming over her comparatively tiny figure. “ _Just let me try and help him_!”

At once, Houndour shook, a sort of fear in her eyes. “...N-No… I-It can’t…”

She backed away, her expression never changing. “...Do what you need, sir.”

As the canine ran up the stairs, Danny suddenly felt a pang of guilt in himself. _That might’ve been a bit too much… I can’t think about that too much, though; Lockjaw needs to be saved!_

He shook himself, taking the last few steps to the feraligatr’s cage. _Okay, this is it. If I can help him, Popplio would be happy again. Now how should I do this?_

**_Grab his head and absorb the darkness inside._ **

Danny nearly collapsed at the sudden headache. _Wh-What was that? Who’s th-there?_

**_Grab his _head_ and _absorb_ the darkness inside._ **

He felt his right wing move of its own accord toward the resting water-type. _Agh! What is _happening_?!_

Before he could register the touch, the lugia felt an extreme pain crawl all over his body. An experience like no other, he could make out many ways to describe the agony.

Then it stopped.

Danny’s gaze was deadlocked onto the feraligatr, unable to determine how much time had actually passed. “A-Are you… okay now?”

Lockjaw shifted, letting out a yawn. “...Woo… Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten Roc’s cooking before hitting the hay. Some weird dream that was…”

He turned around, only just now noticing the barely conscious lugia. “Wha-- _Shit_! Kid, you okay? Gah, where are the orans when you need--”

In checking his side, the feraligatr stopped. “...Wait… That… Oh, _holy fucking shit_. Did _I_ do this to you, kid? Where’d I put my bag? How’d I get in this cage?”

Danny shook his head slightly. “Y-You don’t remember?”

Clutching his head, Lockjaw grunted. “The last thing I remember is taking a nightly stroll with my partner, Rocard! Then everything after that was nothing but a blur! There was a bunch of light and then--then there was you, in pain. You looked like Arceus attacked you with each of his plates!”

The lugia gave a weak smile. “So you’re not crazy anymore…”

Lockjaw sent a wildly confused and worried expression. “I was off the deep end?! Kid, you can’t be--Kid? Kid?!”

 

Popplio jerked upright, ruining his early nap. “Agh, I could’ve sworn someone was screaming. Probably a nightmare or something.”

He turned to Houndour, whose ears pinned back. In a trembling voice: “I don’t think that was just you.”

The water-type returned the fear in earnest. “Is it an intruder? Where’s Danny?”

Without a response, Houndour dashed out of the room. Popplio tried to keep up with the canine, but her endurance far outmatched his own.

As they reached the arena, Popplio noticed his father’s cage in the distance, Danny’s body seemingly sprawled out next to it. Panicked by the implications, the water-type hastened his descent. _No no no, this can’t be happening! First Dad, now Danny…_

Houndour shook her head with a growl. “Curses! Why’d he try to pull a stunt like that?”

Before Popplio could ask her anything regarding the stunt, an all too familiar voice shouted to them. “Tommy?! What’re you doing--Never mind, just help this lugia!”

He froze, leaving only his eyes to focus on the feraligatr inside the cage. “D-Dad?”

Lockjaw leaned closer to Danny with a pleading look. “Kid, help’s on the way, just hang in there!”

The feraligatr faced Houndour, his eyes lighting up. “Thank Articuno, a guild member’s here! Get the lugia as many orans and leppas as you can find - use a reviver seed if you have to!”

Hesitating, the fire-type switched her gaze between Danny, Lockjaw, and Popplio, feeling a sudden drop in temperature. “Uh, yes, sir! I’ll get right to it!”

She gave one last scan at the three before climbing the stairs.

 

Rocard muttered a few curses under his breath, tapping the bars rhythmically. “C’mon… Damn, looks like they’re not showing up. I had hoped we’d get out by this time.”

Curiously operating the new sensations of her wings, Charlie hummed. “Well, now what?”

The typhlosion placed a paw over his head in thought. “Now we settle for ‘Plan B’.”

Charlie snorted. “How creative.”

With a smirk, Rocard rolled his eyes. “Ah, but that letter stands for something - a beetle. Well, more like a roach, but that doesn’t start with a B, now does it?”

Shuddering, the ho-oh retracted her wings. “Eugh. Didn’t know you were a bug person.”

Rocard arched an eyebrow at her. “Not really, but I think joltik are pretty cute. Anyways, this bug is near ninjask levels of speed, and she’s got a mighty kick. From what our helper says, she’s the go-to when it comes to assisting escapees. Like it or not, she’s gonna be our best bet.”

A few moments later, rapid footsteps increased in volume. The male fire-type grinned. “Speak of the devil.”

No sooner had he finished the sentence, Pheromosa stopped in front of their cell. “Oh, good. Both of you are in the same place. How convenient.”

Charlie gawked at the ultra beast. “Sweet baby Jesus, you look like you haven’t eaten so much as a _grape_ a day in five years! Rocard, are you _sure_ she can carry you, let alone both of us?”

A crack resounded, followed by a few bars clanging onto the floor in pieces. Pheromosa placed a hand on her hip. “Does this answer your question?”

The typhlosion winced at the amplitude of the noises. “Yeah, that’s great and all, but we gotta get going. You mind us hitching a ride before someone unfriendly notices?”

“You’re a bit too late for that!”

Something whizzed past the two fire-types, knocking Pheromosa over with ease. After the impact, a small origami figure floated above her with a cynical laugh. “Aw, did little Miss Toothpick fall over?”

Rocard scowled at the newcomer. “Hey, Kartana, I’ve got two words for you. Flame. Thrower.”

The samurai turned toward the former prisoner. “Isn’t that just one--”

A breath of fire pelted him, cutting him off and slamming him into the wall.

Slowly clapping, Rocard picked up the recovering body of Pheromosa. “Maybe you should worry more about that double-weakness. Those _paper-thin_ defenses don’t help you much, either.”

Charlie glared at the typhlosion. “ _Really_? Puns at a time like _this_?”

Once the bug-type could finally stand, Rocard flashed a grin. “Hey, whatever lightens up the mood. Think you can handle carrying us, Mosa?”

Pheromosa shot a glare of her own. “Ugh. If you’d quit referring to me as such, yes.”

The typhlosion sighed. “Yeah, yeah, fine. Let’s just get going.”

 

Lunala panted, struggling to keep herself afloat. “Solgaleo… Why did you get _his_ help? You know he will discard you when he is done with you!”

She just barely managed to avoid a crunch aimed at her wing. Desperation lacing her tone: “Brother, you are going mad with power! Listen to me!”

Solgaleo’s maw hung limply, his voice unnaturally deep. “ **Your ‘brother’ is long gone. Would you like to join him?** ”

The lunar pokémon scowled, backing up into the unconscious Nihilego and Xurkitree. “You have done enough damage, taking away the balance! My light shall not be taken!”

As the black, claw-like extensions slowly encroached her, Solgaleo shook his head. “ **Ah, but you made a tactical error. How close are you to that corner, again?** ”

Lunala looked over the extensions, noticing Pheromosa and the former captives. “What are you doing here?! Go on without me! Hurry!”

“Hey, big guy! Catch!”

Before the cornered legendary could react, Solgaleo’s body stiffened from an impact behind him. “ **Grah! Useless body! C-Can’t even resist paralysis!** ”

Rocard held a twig with smoke coming out of it, analyzing it. “Huh. So _that’s_ how these wands work. C’mon, Nala, you coming or what?”

Pheromosa pulled out a few cards from her satchel. “We better leave before the stun wears off.”

Using her telekinesis to carry herself and the unconscious teammates, Lunala never tore her eyes from the possessed solar legendary. “Right. Let me activate the wormhole.”

Her third eye flashed a bright magenta, causing the hallway entrance to split. A white light creeped out of the newly made hole.

As she pushed the others into the portal, however, Solgaleo’s body shook off the last traces of paralysis and lunged for her. “ **You will not get away that easily! Not on my watch!** ”

Charlie turned her head back to Lunala, seeing the terror in her eyes. Extending her red limb: “Grab my wing!”

Conflicted emotions swirled in the lunar pokémon’s mind. As the wormhole shrank, she used one last psychic blast to force the rest of the group through.

The last moment Charlie could see was Lunala being surrounded by the black appendages.

 

Lockjaw kept his stare on the lugia, constantly checking the rise of his chest. He gripped the bars in frustration. _It’s just not enough that I hurt this kid somehow, huh? No, I gotta lose my memory of doing it and watch him slowly die with no way to help him! I though Arceus had finally given me a chance!_

But, even so, he couldn’t deny it as a suitable form of punishment. The feraligatr felt a sudden chill, one that he recognized. “Wha--Gengar? Do you not see the lugia here?”

He saw the ghost-type approach the lugia, feeding him a few berries. “As a matter of fact, I did. What’s this purple bruise on the kid’s wing? Seems fresh.”

Lockjaw stammered, leaning to view the spot. “What the hell… _That’s_ what I did?”

Gengar sent a confused glare at the water-type. “You don’t remember?”

With an exasperated sigh, Lockjaw banged the back of his head against the bars. “Great Giratina, why is everyone asking me that now? No, I don’t remember!”

Ears twitching, Gengar lifted the wing. “Well, upon closer inspection, this seems less like a bruise and more like he dipped it in a giant, purple bucket of paint. I doubt you have any moves that do that. As for why you don’t remember, I can answer that in three words: Solgaleo corrupted you.”

The feraligatr froze. “...Oh, _gods dammit all_! How long?!”

“Five months, two weeks, and six days - a grand total of a hundred and sixty days. I’m surprised it didn’t last longer. I’d say this kid helped you outta that slum.”

Lockjaw’s eyes widened. “Five whole months… Pravda’s gonna be _pissed_ when she finds out I’m not dead.”

Gengar raised an eyebrow with a smirk, shaking Danny in an attempt to wake him up. “Not ‘if’?”

The water-type rolled his eyes. “ _Definitely_ not if. Not even ol’ Slowking could keep her from finding me. She n’ I are tied together like a reunion cape!”

Danny stirred, prompting a tug from the ghost-type. “C’mon, kid. Rise and shine?”

Still, the lugia didn’t awaken.

Gengar frowned. “Hang on, lemme check his dreams… Ah-ha! He’s having a vision! But… Who’s contacting him…?”

 

_Danny stared at the two glowing eyes, his body still limp from the pain he endured. “Are you… the voice that made me do that to him?”_

_“ **Indeed.** ”_

_He winced. “What exactly _was_ that? Who are you?”_

_The eyes lowered, reaching his level. “ **His aura had been tainted. Our kind can absorb and dispel such darkness. Currently, the aura has been absorbed into your wing, and it will fade after a night’s rest.** ”_

_Before Danny could ask any further questions, the voice’s eyes narrowed. “ **There is another presence here. I cannot stay. Wake up.** ”_

_As the voice faded, Danny tried to think of one last question. “But who are--”_

“--you?”

He jolted upright, heavily breathing. “Augh, it’s just one weird thing after another!”

“Ahem.”

Danny whirled around, eyeing the gengar with surprise. “Oh, _great_. Aren’t you gonna use hypnosis and dream eater on me? How’d you even get past Stakataka?”

The ghost-type put a hand over his mouth in mock offense. “How _dare_ you. I take _pride_ in walking through walls! Besides, shouldn’t you be more worried about Scales over here?”

After shooting the best glare he could manage, the lugia turned toward Lockjaw. “Uh… Are you, er, not crazy anymore?”

Lockjaw sighed, making sure he lightly tapping his head on the bars instead of slamming against it. “I’m gonna be asked that for a while, aren’t I? _No_ , I’m not crazy anymore. Gengar filled me in on a few things I missed.”

Danny gasped, a big grin on his face. Pumping his fists into the air: “Woo! I did something Lunala couldn’t do--Ow! Oh, my head…”

He clutched his head, wincing. To his surprise, so did Gengar. “Geh. Damn Ultra cards. Seems like Lunala’s group is back from the heist.”

Lockjaw cleared his throat. “That’s great and all, but I can’t come with you while stuck in this cage.”

The lights of the arena flickered, accompanied by a rumble.

Gengar frowned. “That’s… not the kind of sign I was hoping for. Lockjaw, here’s your key. I’ll get some more utilities and find the group.”

**Author's Note:**

> I must at least credit the people who beta-read my first chapter. However, since I shared it as a Google Doc, I have no way of knowing who actually read it before this fic was posted here.
> 
> Regardless, I thank those who previewed my work and everyone who's reading this for the first time on here! It means a lot to me!


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